WhiteBoard News for Monday, April 14, 2003

Berlin, Germany (Reuters):

A German father and son lost their driving licenses within hours of each other for being drunk at the wheel, after the son got caught and the inebriated father went to pick him up, police said on Monday. 

"First the son came off the road under the influence, so police took his license. Then the father set off for the scene of the accident, got stopped and was also found to be over the limit, so he had his taken too," said a police spokesman in the southern town of Hildesheim. 
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London, England (Reuters):

Thieves in Britain broke into a safe and stole 650 pounds ($1,020) -- from a prison. 

A UK prison spokesman said on Monday that the crime took place in the reception area of Spring Hill open prison near Aylesbury, around 40 miles northwest of London. The thieves also broke into prisoners' lockers. 

Police are investigating the Friday night break-in, the spokesman said. 
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Harare, Zimbabwe (Independent Online):

A Zimbabwean man on Saturday talked his way into what could be a new Guinness world record with a speech lasting 36 hours.

Jonah Mungoshi, a 35-year-old father of three and bank executive, beat the 26-hour record set by South African John Trevor Walker on his way to a personal goal of 36 hours of almost non-stop talk.

"I'm extremely excited but extremely sleepy as well," a visibly exhausted Mungoshi told reporters. "All I want to do now is go home with my wife to sleep."

A group of assessors will submit reports on the validity of Mungoshi's performance before his name can be formally entered into the next issue of the Guinness Book Of Records in 2004.

In his largely motivational speech, Mungoshi steered clear of direct reference to the political and economic crisis which many Zimbabweans blame on President Robert Mugabe's mismanagement, but admitted he was "deeply concerned about the future of this country".

Mungoshi was only allowed "natural pauses" of not more than 30 seconds and was permitted to take 15-minute breaks every eight hours to eat and go to the toilet. 
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Tokyo, Japan (Reuters):

Who is that masked man? One of Japan's newest politicians. 

A professional wrestler who fought his way to victory in local assembly elections under his ring name and wearing his trademark mask has vowed the mask will not leave his face even after he enters the staid halls of Japanese politics. 

"This is my face," the wrestler -- known as "The Great Sasuke" -- was quoted by the Nikkan Sports newspaper as saying of his black and white full-face mask with bright scarlet streaks and golden wings by the eye holes. 

"I won support from voters with this face, and to take it off would be breaking promises," the 33-year-old wrestler, whose real name is Masanori Murakawa, said of his victory in conservative Iwate prefecture, some 460 km (290 miles) north of Tokyo. 

Catching opponents on the back foot to take one of 10 assembly seats, the wrestler said he now hopes to demonstrate his "superabundant power" outside of the ring as well as in it. 

Sasuke's vow to go masked into the halls of power in Japan, where battles have been fought in the past over legislators refusing to don neckties, has authorities scratching their heads. 

"There is no law specifically forbidding it," one Iwate prefectural official was quoted by Nikkan Sports as saying. "But now that he has won, we must look into the issue." 

In a sign, perhaps, that the rough-and-tumble world of politics may prove more bruising than expected, Sasuke was forced to limp his way up to the polling box with one ankle in a cast. 

He attributed the injury to stumbling over a curb during the election campaign. 
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Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Ananova):

An armed robber gave himself up in Holland after he got sick of waiting for police to come and arrest him.

And when he finally walked into the police station, he had to show his gun to prove he was a criminal, reports De Telegraaf.

The man held up a shopkeeper with a gun in Amsterdam and told his victim he'd wait for the police in a nearby park.

He waited for half an hour but no police officers showed up so he walked to a police station and gave himself up.

At first, the police officer on duty didn't believe his story as the shopkeeper had not yet reported the robbery.

Finally, the 38-year-old produced his pistol and was arrested.

A police spokesman said the robber was homeless and wanted to be arrested so he had somewhere warm and dry to sleep.
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